"What?"
"Let's go to Australia." I said on the phone excitedly.
"Why?" Xav sounded so confused.
"To go, visit and rest, duh!"
"Sky, listen to me. Just come back and get back to your job, if James is coming back too." He said.
"Why?" I was so annoyed by everyone today.
"Because, you're asking me to come with you. Firstly, you're now married. Secondly, I am not on my break like you are. And lastly, you can't ask your sister too, because she's busy too."
I groaned loudly.
"What are you doing?" James walked in, his suit jacket on his shoulder. He seemed annoyed.
"Nothing." I said, rolling my eyes.
"What?" I heard Xav ask me on the phone.
"I'm not talking to you, I'll meet you after coming back. Thanks for knocking some sense into me." I said sarcasm dripping from my voice.
"Okay. Bye and take care." He said laughing.
I cut the call and looked at James, who was still waiting for an answer.
"Was taking a call, as you could see."
"With?"
"My best friend." I answered, getting up and walking to my bag.
"And who is that?"
"Why do you care?" I asked looking back at him, he was questioning too much.
"I don't, was just curious."
I don't answer and start packing my bag.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked me.
"I am coming with you, it's better to get back to my job so it feels normal again. I'll take a break when I feel like it again."
"Okay, then get ready in thirty minutes." He said and I could hear the pleased smile without even looking at him.
"Stop smiling." I said without looking back.
"I am not." He said, clearing his throat and trying to sound serious.
I take my clothes and go for a bath. I was kind of tired of work, and was happy to be getting a week off for the wedding. Obviously everyone was going to be curious as to why I came back so early and then that would lead to rumors, which I bet are already out when it came out on the news.
Did it really have to be out to the public? Two biggest business companies joining forces as James Astor and Sky Black get married. I read the article because I was worried they might have mentioned about me being the younger sister. Which led me to think that people sure will be getting curious at a point who knew our family and worked in the company, that why did James got married to me and not Fiona.
Logically, as it should have been, he should have married Fiona. Damn, I really hope the reports and people don't dig too much into this and mess up everything. If Fiona's pregnancy got exposed, it would become a really big controversy, bringing both the companies down. I was worried a lot, because sooner or later it is going to happen and I don't know what the consequences would be.
I get ready and we are off for New York. James did not talk much, it made me feel that something was wrong or he was lost in his thoughts. I tried not to look into this and think too much about it.
"Take her back to the house after dropping me." James says to the driver.
"Wait. Are you literally going directly to work?" I ask.
"Yes, I have a lot of things left to look into." He replied as the driver started the car.
"Okay." I was already starting to feel low, so I didn't argue back.
I knew that he lived alone and not with his family. Fiona had already told me about all of this. His flat was really spacey, I noticed, when I was looking around the house. Was it because there was only necessary stuff around and it was not decorated by him, it felt like a grand hotel room.
I still had to bring in my things here and get them set-
"Woah." Just as I thought about it and opened the door to a room, I found my belongings already set. Did I ask anyone to do this for me? I don't remember that. Then who brought them here and on top of them, set them in the room too.
I opened the wardrobe to check if my clothes were here too. Yep, all of them. It was like, the room had been shifted here while we were gone. I sat down on the bed and looked around. It looked pretty good, I exhaled in relief. At least I won't have to do that too. One thing off my to do list.
I called Xav to ask if he would come to the café to meet after an hour. He said he would come after two because he had a meeting to attend but said that he'll be there as soon as he can. I called Stacy to tell her that I'll be coming to the office tomorrow. And asked her to let Ms. Evelyn know that today when she leaves.
Stacy was my office friend and a really good one, which I didn't expect when I saw her for the first time. She looked like she would kill you if you mess with her, but when I actually got to know her at an office after party, she was a really calm and caring person, but crazy yes. She almost reminded me of Fiona. Calm and chaos in one.
"Tell me what happened. I wanna know. You haven't even texted me after the wedding." Stacy said impatiently on the call.
"I am coming to the office tomorrow, Stace, I'll tell you then."
"You are one hell of a rude person. Making a curious person wait this much. It better be good since you're making me wait until tomorrow or else I'll kill you."
"Yeah, yeah. I'll see you tomorrow then. Bye."
I get up and change into something baggy as usual. I go down and find Mr. Elliot is waiting for me.
"Good evening, Mrs. Astor. Where would you like to go?" He asks, opening the door for me.
I remind him again that I can open the door for myself, no need to do the extra work and tell him to take me to the café.
***
"Xav." I force a smile and nod curtly before sitting in front of him. Our usual spot.
"Hey there dumb one." He smiles back.
"Why, why would you ruin my days by giving advice like that?" I slump down on the table.
"It was the best option, you have to accept that because here you are." He says tapping my forehead.
"It was the best option, you have to accept that because here you are." I shoo it away and stick out my tongue, mimicking his line.
"Now tell me, how did it go?" He asks, ignoring my childish behavior.
"How did what go?" I ask him back, confused.
He raises an eyebrow as if I'll understand what he is trying to ask me. I shake my head and tell him to speak in words.
"The honeymoon, obviously." He says, sighing loudly, giving up.
"Firstly, nothing happened. And secondly, why are you even interested in this topic?" I ask making a disgusted face to make him more irritated.
"I'm not, I was just curious." He replied, shrugging.
"Why is everyone saying that today?" I ask, annoyed because James had said the same thing in the morning.
"Who is?"
"You all, damn it. I'll do something crazy if you all keep annoying me."
"Here's your order." Xav had already ordered as always, obviously.
"Thank you." Xav said to the waitress and smiled at her. She seemed flustered while going back.
"You tell me now. What's going on with your lady?" I say poking his arm, and back to myself again.
"Nothing." He said, rolling his eyes and started to eat.
"You have to confess you dumbass." I say as I pick up my coffee. "I know you're scared of rejection, but you got to you know-" I take a sip and continue "-push through."
"I am not doing that." He says as his mouth is filled with food .
He was a typical guy who thought he wasn't good enough. But looking at him, no one would say that. Even right now, his hair ruffled up to a mess as always, a sharp jawline, dark brown hair and the amber eyes sparkling as he looked out into the daylight. He was gorgeous, not an overstatement. Just facts.
"You're just too oblivious about yourself and people around you." I say laughing at him.
"What?"
"See right there. Oblivious."
"Just eat." He says rolling his eyes and continues eating.
After eating we sit down and rest for around thirty minutes talking about random things like we always do. I felt relieved. After all this marriage and Fiona's pregnancy came up, I was feeling very suffocated because things were going too fast and not the way I wanted.
I kind of gave up on finding what I wanted or who I wanted in life like that, someone I would have loved and married on my own terms. Not like this, for hiding a lie and to help grow a business for the person I was marrying.
My phone suddenly interrupted the silence and my hand froze looking at the call.
"What are you doing right now?" I heard James' voice surprisingly low, it was scary I'll literally admit that.
"I'm at a café." I replied.
"With?"
"My best friend?" I answered him, almost sounding confused myself. What does he want?
"Just come out of the café, will you?" He said and I heard him exhaling loudly in frustration.
I looked outside to find his car on the side road, windows rolled down, sitting inside the car, looking at me with his hand resting on the window.
Ah fuck, what did I do now?